Pumpkin Pie Chia Seed Pudding

Sometimes you’ve just gotta take a risk. Especially if that risk could lead to something that may change your life.

Or, at least, change the way you look at breakfast!

Before beginning this blog, breakfast was definitely not my favorite meal. I had grown tired of practically every sugary cereal on the market, found oatmeal packs tasteless, and often resorted to not-very-filling granola bars for breakfast. But as I began challenging myself to come up with new “skinny sweet” recipes, I found that breakfast could actually be a treat! (See what I did there?)

The very first recipes I came up with happened to be slightly time consuming, meaning they were perfect for Sunday mornings, but not so much for weekday mornings, when you’re hard-pressed to get out of bed at all, much less eat a big breakfast! I remember my very first “quick” breakfast idea: Coconut Cream Pie Overnight Oats. These oats were basically the quintessential quick breakfast. You actually made them the night before, so there was zero prep work to do in the morning. Not to mention, they were incredibly filling and tasted exactly like coconut cream pie.

After that first experience, I was hooked on healthy breakfasts. I began brainstorming new recipes, including various pancake, muffin, and of course oatmeal recipes. But one thing I actually never tried, although extremely popular during the past few years, was chia seed pudding.

When I say “Chia”, you may think of the chia pets from infomercials a few years back. Well, these seeds are actually more than just the beginning of a cute house plant. Chia seeds are incredibly high in antioxidants, fiber, and high quality protein. Meaning, they’re practically the perfect food! That being said, chia seed pudding is pretty much the perfect invention.

I absolutely love pudding. In fact, when I was a kid, my mom tried to avoid taking me shopping at all costs. This was because whenever we walked down an aisle, I’d immediately grab 10 of the sugariest foods I could find and drop them in the cart. One of the most common items to show up in the cart by the time we reached the check-out line and my mom made me bring it all back, was (believe it or not) pudding.

Now that I’m older, I still love pudding, but you won’t find me throwing it in my cart at the grocery store (mostly because it’s about as unhealthy as foods come). Well, this mind-blowing invention has been showing up on my Instagram feed for the past year, and this week I finally decided to give it a try. If you haven’t already guessed, this new creation was Chia Seed Pudding.

Inspired by the chilly weather and excess of pumpkins lying around after Halloween, I’ve created a recipe for Chia Seed Pudding that literally tastes like Pumpkin Pie. One really cool thing about Chia seeds is that when mixed with a liquid, they actually expand to almost double their size. So when combined with various wet ingredients (ex. pumpkin puree, coconut milk, vanilla), they expand and create a pudding-like consistency.

In short: you get to eat Pumpkin Pie Pudding for breakfast.

Now, tell me that didn’t just change your life!

Pumpkin Pie Chia Seed Pudding

2 1/2 tbs chia seeds

1/4 banana

1/4 c pumpkin puree

1/2 c coconut milk

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/8 tsp vanilla

stevia to taste

Blend banana, pumpkin, coconut milk, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and stevia in a blender until smooth. Pour into a bowl or mason jar and add chia seeds. Mix until fully combined. Let sit overnight, or for at least 4 hours. Remove and top with toppings of choice. Enjoy!